Growing up on the big island of Kona, Hawaii, Bret Bollinger had three radio stations with three main music styles at his disposal - Island, Contemporary Hawaiian and reggae - but the youth dared to be different and in 1997 crafted his three-person band after his favorite mainland punk revolutionaries: NOFX and Bad Religion. Overcoming the odds, the group got picked up by Volcom Entertainment and now Pepper tickets are selling for shows across the country.

By 2001, Pepper had already released its debut album “Give ‘N It,” and was included in the Vans Warped Tour. A year later the group released its second album, “Kona Town,” and was asked to perform alongside big name artists Bob Marley, Slightly Stoopid, 311 and Snoop Dogg. Bollinger purports that the band?s foundation is rooted in its solid connection with their native island, as well as their true punk spirit and a strong sense of self, according to a July 2007 MTV interview on the Girls Gone Punk blog.

“Our family and friends don?t hear [punk music],” Bollinger said. “They don’t have the patience for MTV. But Haoles [Hawaiian slang for locals who are white] and Hawaiian kids don?t know what to do with themselves when they hear punk. They’re just like blow away!”

Pepper?s most popular song, released off the band’s “Kona Town” album, has become “Give it Up,” a comedic stoner/surfer anthem that talks about sex and pokes fun at pop punk scene, according to Bolllinger. With it’s 2006 release of “No Shame,” came their hit singles “Your Face,” “Crazy Love” and “Point and Shoot” and now the band has embarked on a 2007 tour, which it is headlining.

The band’s sound mixes an eclectic reggae vibe with hip-hop and punk and transcends genres with its often funny and poignant lyrics. When the band moved from Hawaii to Southern California in the late 1990s, they started landing gigs to open for big reggae artists like Shaggy but then moved to perform with different types of musicians.

As the group spirals out of control with their newest album “To Da Max” which was released earlier this year, they will kick off their biggest tour yet on Oct. 17 in Las Vegas, with supporting bands The Expendables and Passafire.

Pepper’s official Web site has more tour and general band information - check it out.